Gently Poached Native Oysters with Cucumber & Dill Granita

⏱ 40 min · Serves 4

Barely-set native oysters, poached for seconds in their own liquor with a whisper of dry vermouth, then crowned with an icy shard-storm of cucumber and dill. Cold meets warm, sweet meets saline — a two-bite opener that tastes like the sea on a bright winter morning.

Per serving: 132 kcal · 6.5g protein · 7.5g carbs · 6.2g fat

Ingredients

• 12 native oysters, unopened, well scrubbed
• 1 large cucumber (about 400g)
• 15g dill fronds, plus 12 tiny sprigs to garnish
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Pinch of fine sea salt
• 60ml dry vermouth (or dry white wine)
• 20g unsalted butter, cold and diced
• 1 small shallot, finely sliced
• 1 tsp finely grated fresh horseradish (optional)
• Coarse rock salt or crushed ice, to serve

Method

1. Make the granita first: roughly chop the cucumber (skin on) and blitz with the dill, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice and a pinch of salt until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing gently — you want a clean pale green liquid, not pulp.
2. Pour into a wide shallow metal tray and freeze for 30 minutes, then rake vigorously with a fork. Return to the freezer and rake every 10 minutes until you have loose glittering crystals (about 1 hour total). Keep frozen.
3. Shuck the oysters over a bowl to catch every drop of liquor. Lift each oyster free of the shell, check for grit, and set aside on a cold plate. Scrub and dry the deep bottom shells; chill them.
4. Strain the oyster liquor through muslin into a small saucepan. Add the vermouth and shallot and bring to a bare simmer, then reduce heat until the surface just trembles — around 75C. Do not boil.
5. Slip in 4 oysters at a time and poach for 20–30 seconds, just until the edges ruffle and they turn opaque at the frill but stay soft in the centre. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto a chilled plate. Repeat.
6. Strain the poaching liquor into a clean pan, reduce by half over medium heat, then whisk in the cold butter off the heat to make a glossy sauce. Add the horseradish if using. Let it cool to just-warm.
7. Set the chilled shells on beds of rock salt or crushed ice on four plates. Return an oyster to each shell and spoon over a teaspoon of the buttered liquor.
8. Scrape up the granita and heap a small spoonful beside — not on top of — each oyster. Finish with a dill sprig and serve immediately, while the contrast of warm and frozen is at its sharpest.